Finland’s Sonata Arctica are going to be fighting the Krampus with some serious Holiday Heavy Metal thanks to their “Christmas Spirits” single. Before I examine it, here’s what the band had to say about offering up this tune for those Metal Stockings that are hung by the chimneys of the world;

“”Hello everyone out there! Christmas is just around the corner so we decided to cheer you all up with a nice Christmas story. “Decided” might be a bit strong in this context since the ‘Christmas Spirits’ song has been around for about ten years now, we just never had the time to record it. Finally during the Pariah’s Child sessions we managed to do the basic tracks and this autumn we finished the song. I guess the main reason for the delay was getting the lyrics done, it’s nearly impossible to get into the Christmas mood unless it’s actually… you guessed it, Christmas. Hats off to Tony since he did it anyway, this autumn, and without any snow, we might add. Be that as it may, here’s our latest piece of art: ‘Christmas Spirits’! Merry Christmas to everyone & cheers,“